Started to play with some video thoughts.......

On occasion I have been lucky to produce video productions for clients and it's been a gas. Great time but it is not just a matter of grabbing a camera and shooting the "video" then editing from there. I always start from a storyboard. then scripting, then shooting, THEN editing. I have had clients that bucked at the process but that is the only way I will do it. By trying to edit from raw unthought out sequences will always leave you with images that are not enough or just unless material. Let me explain the process.

A Storyboard.
I generally do this with the client after a walk through of the needs and desired result of the production. I make an outline of our conversation and then take out my "storyboard. A storyboard in nothing more than pages with what looks like empty TV screens on them, generally three to a page. The screens are on the right of the page and I have a column of scripting lines on the left side of the page across from the "screens. I first establish the words for the script on the left then in the screen on the right I draw what I perceive as the "action". You don't have to be Norman Rockwell to draw what you want. Stick figures work for me. Within the boxes I can draw in a primary shot, on the next, a close up of work being done, whatever the script calls for. When it is time to change the scene I place a dissolve in the next box and proceed to the next scene. This gives me a "road map" for the future edition processes i will have to do as well as a logical map for the scripting that follows it.

Editing
The editing process takes a bunch of time that many client don't understand. Having a storyboard cuts the time down and also eliminates un-shot scenes that are in the script. The editing requires a very long time trimming the shots to get them to fit the script, sometimes adjustments to lighting and color balances, and of course any text that needs to be added to the video. It really sucks up the time.

Music
Sometimes music or narration needs to be added which takes a bit more of a challenge. Any recorded music is copyright protected such as music on albums, Pandora, virtually any source. I am very lucky as I have two very talented musician nephews that create my original sounds for my videos, Tim and Andy Putnam. They are true lifesavers and both located in Nashville.

Narration
The narration is another issue that needs to be solved. I generally will go to a radio station and have the "voice"  record the audio there and then edit it in my studio. In the editing process there is a "timeline" that visually lays down the sequences of the scenes on the computer screen as well as the audio lines below it. I can then place the narration where it needs to go as well as the music which is on another line below the audio. On these lines I can also vary the volume of both lines as is appropriate for the situation.

The Final edit
The final edit is critical to the success of the video. In this stage you can tighten up the production and shorten sequences if necessary, and add time if needed to spots in the sequences. I have found that any video for commercial clients, generally speaking, a three to four minute duration is about the max you can hold an audience. Of course this isn't a solid rule all of the time. The longest video I've produced was for a Hospital which ran two storylines concerning patient successes within the hospital which lasted 14 minutes. Hugely successful video, the audience loved it. I produced one for the city of Carthage, Mo. that was 11 minutes long and took a year to produce as we covered the town in four seasons. A very fun video which won an First Place award at a National Chamber of Commerce meeting in Orlando Florida.

I have been thinking of a sequence I would like to produce for over a week and Sunday I figured I'd give it a shot. It was exactly what I wanted as a finished produce....maybe music later....haven't given that issue much thought. As soon as I figure out how to get it on the blog I'll include it. I'm not a rocket scientist......